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Ballina Byron Family Day Care has delivered education and care across NSW's Far North Coast for more than 30 years. With a team of 32 educators, the service combines home-based care, venue-based settings and dual educator arrangements to offer families consistent and responsive support.

At the heart of the service is a commitment to child safety, which helps to ensure that environments are well-designed, regularly assessed by the family day care's coordination staff and adapted in partnership with educators and families to meet each child’s individual needs.

Starting with safe and purposeful spaces

Sharon Foran, Nominated Supervisor at Ballina Byron Family Day Care, explained that before welcoming a prospective educator, she and the service’s educational leader conduct an initial visit to the residence. This includes a full walkthrough beyond the approved care area to identify potential risks that may need to be addressed.

“We look at the whole residence, not just the care space," Sharon said. "This helps prospective educators understand their broader responsibility and unique role in caring for children in a family day care environment."

New educators take part in a thorough onboarding process, which includes familiarisation with the service’s child safe policy. All adults in the household are required to hold a verified Working with Children Check and National Police Check.

Educators also complete an up-to-date child protection certificate and online training through Family Day Care NSW, and participate in weekly support visits with the service’s educational leader during their first 6 months to help them meet safety expectations from the outset.

Designing spaces for safety and supervision

Sharon spoke about the importance of creating purpose-built spaces that promote both the safety and autonomy of children.

The service supports educators to set up their approved care area to suit the specific needs of a family day care setting. When assessing suitable care areas, the team considers factors like the proximity of bathroom and kitchen access and the positioning of furniture. This helps educators meet children’s needs while maintaining adequate supervision and ensuring all areas and equipment meet safety standards.

"When we assess whether furniture is suitable for a space, we consider several factors including its safety, height, accessibility and visibility,” Sharon explained.

“We check that the furniture is stable, free of sharp edges and securely positioned to prevent tipping or movement. Any items that pose a risk are either modified or removed.”

Age-appropriate furniture is also selected to allow children to engage independently, and positioned to remove blind spots so all children can be easily observed.

Supporting safe sleep practices

During sleep and rest times, educators follow safe sleep practices by conducting regular physical checks, with monitors used only as a secondary tool to assist educators when supervising both active and sleeping children. Sharon explained that monitors do not replace direct physical supervision.

“Sleep checks are recorded on a chart provided by the coordination unit, which can be completed electronically or on paper," Sharon said.

"During each coordinator's visit, the charts are checked and the outcomes are recorded on the visit record. Each child is physically inspected by the educator every 10 minutes during the sleep and rest period."

In addition to educators completing up to date , Safe Sleep: Individual Child Risk Factor Checklist and Action Plans are conducted alongside parents for children under 2 years old. The plans are reviewed every 3 months to ensure each child's individual sleep safety needs are being met.

“Sleep environments are always within the approved care area, ensuring they are within reach of the educators," Sharon said. "The spaces are ventilated, well-lit and free from hazards. All sleep equipment is checked against Australian safety standards, with educators constantly checking that their direct line of sight to the sleeping area is unobstructed."

Managing risks and hazards

Educators at the service complete daily safety audits, while coordination staff conduct unannounced visits every 3 weeks to review the physical environment and provide hands-on support.

“We think about how children move through the space, how educators can stay present and how the environment supports safety,” Sharon said.

Sharon shared that during a coordinator visit, a shelving unit was identified as blocking visibility in one direction of the room and limiting access to resources. Working together, the educator and coordination team repositioned the unit to restore clear lines of sight and improve accessibility.

Collaborating with families

Family input also plays a key role in supporting the family day care to shape safe and responsive environments. Educators work with families before care begins to understand each child’s needs and preferences.

Sharon described how the team adapted a space to support the needs of a child with cerebral palsy.

“The family emphasised the need for specific support to ensure their child’s inclusion, comfort and safety within the family day care environment,” Sharon said.

“Before the child commenced with us, we conducted a walkthrough of the residence with the parent, family day care coordinator and educator to identify suitable areas and consider adjustments to support the child’s physical needs and participation in daily routines."

In response, additional space was created to allow the safe use of a walker, supporting the child’s movement throughout the day. A supportive chair was introduced for mealtimes to help the child maintain proper posture and positioning. A private but visible area was also created in the approved care space to support the child to participate in physiotherapy sessions during their care hours.

Sharon shared that this collaboration with families helps ensure the service’s environments are not only safe but inclusive, supporting Child Safe Standard 4 and promoting a sense of security for children.